Maesa indica (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Maesa indica (Roxb.) A.DC.

Protologue: Trans. Linn. Soc. 17: 134 (1834).

Synonyms

Baeobotrys indica Roxb. (1824).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: bunga kasi hutan (Peninsular)
• Laos: dok ton, kok tap
• Thailand: khaao saan noi, ma phap (northern)
• Vietnam: dơn răng cưa, dơn ấn dộ.

Distribution

From India to Indo-China, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

In Indo-China crushed leaves are used externally to treat urticaria and itch caused by allergy. The leaves are used as a fish poison in India. Sometimes they are eaten in curries or as a vegetable.

Observations

A shrub up to 5 m tall; leaves elliptical to ovate-elliptical, (6-)8-17 cm × 4-8(-15) cm, base cuneate to rounded, apex acuminate; inflorescence a condensed panicle or raceme 2-8 cm long, glabrous or slightly glandular; pedicel up to 2 mm long. M. indica occurs in evergreen forest, up to 2300 m altitude.

Selected sources

121, 249, 622, 789, 990.

Main genus page

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Authors

T.M.A. Utteridge & J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg